Silence.

The void was oppressive, but the voice that had thundered moments ago was silent, seemingly waiting for Kaelix's response. Time stretched, each second dragging like an eternity. Then, without warning, Kaelix erupted.

"You pompous, disembodied piece of shit! Who the hell do you think you are?" he bellowed, his voice raw with fury.

The green glow around his body flickered in surprise.

"You think you can just show up, ramble about 'reckonings,' and act like you're some almighty being?" Kaelix sneered. "I've met Ascendars with less arrogance than you!"

The voice, startled, hesitated before responding. "Your... reaction is unexpected. Why do you respond with such anger?"

"Why?" Kaelix's tone was venomous. "Because I've spent my whole damn life clawing my way out of the gutter, refusing to be anyone's pawn. And now you show up, trying to talk down to me like I'm some tool for your grand plan? You better fucking forget about it!"

The earlier sensation of insignificance that had clutched at Kaelix's soul was gone, shattered by his growing rage. Memories of his life flashed through his mind—being ordered, controlled, and used by those stronger or wealthier than him. Every command had felt like chains, and now, this voice dared to try and bind him anew.

"I've been spat on, dragged through the mud, and treated like I'm nothing," Kaelix spat. "But I've never let anyone own me, and I'm not about to start now!"

The green glow dimmed, as though the voice itself recoiled. For an hour, Kaelix vented his fury. He hurled insults, mocking the voice's earlier grandiose declarations with a biting, sarcastic imitation:

"'Little one, you linger.' Oh, please, what are you? Some melodramatic spirit haunting teenagers?"

The voice remained silent for much of Kaelix's tirade, the sickly green light fading into darkness. Eventually, it returned, subdued and cautious.

"Why are you so angry?" it asked softly. "Why do you reject me when I offer you power?"

Kaelix scoffed. "Everyone wants power. But I'm not about to take it from some cowardly, invisible voice that hides in the shadows and acts like it's doing me a favor. If you want me to listen, stop skulking around and show your bitch ass self."

The voice sighed audibly, the sound rippling through the void like a wave. In the distance, a faint multi-colored light appeared. It grew steadily brighter as it approached until it hovered before Kaelix, a flickering ember no larger than a firefly.

The voice spoke again, quieter now, almost hesitant. "I apologize for my earlier arrogance. It was not my intent to belittle you. I only wish to offer you strength."

Kaelix eyed the flickering light skeptically. "And how, exactly, do you plan to do that? You look like you'd burn out if someone sneezed too hard."

The light pulsed faintly. "You are unlike any being I have encountered in millennia. You have no dormant Nexus, and yet you persist. This anomaly caught my attention."

Kaelix raised an eyebrow. "Nexus?"

"Yes," the voice continued. "A Nexus is the core of sentient life, the source of consciousness, and the key to ascending to higher planes of existence. It is what allows beings to unlock their potential and become empowered ones, or what you call Ascendars. You... are different. You have none."

The revelation struck Kaelix like a blow. He had always assumed his inability to ascend was due to low talent or bad luck, but this... this explained everything.

"So," he muttered, "I was broken from the start."

The light pulsed with sympathy. "Not broken. Unique. And it is because of this uniqueness that I wish to help you."

Kaelix's eyes narrowed. "Help me? Or use me?"

The ember dimmed slightly, as though shrinking from his gaze. "Both," it admitted after a pause.

Kaelix crossed his arms—or tried to, his body still stiff from the burns. "Explain."

"I am incomplete," the voice said. "Without a host, I will fade within a few years. But I can offer you something in return. Without a Nexus, you cannot ascend, but if you allow me to embed myself within you, I can act as your Nexus. With me, you could become an Ascendar—no something far greater and far more powerful."

Kaelix studied the faint light, his anger subsiding into wary curiosity. "Stronger how?"

"Unlike most beings, whose Nexuses are tied to their mortal limits and innate talent, you would be unshackled. Together, we could achieve power far beyond what most Ascendars could dream of."

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Kaelix's lips curled into a smirk. "And what's in it for you?"

The ember flickered, its light steadying. "I need a host to survive. But more than that, I seek to become whole. Scattered across existence are fragments of myself. With your help, I can locate them and reclaim what I have lost."

Kaelix leaned back, considering the offer. He didn't trust the voice—its sudden humility felt forced, and its motives were clearly self-serving. But the idea of finally gaining the power he had always dreamed of...

"Fine," he said, at last, his tone sharp. "But hear me, you disembodied rainbow. Try anything shady, and I'll find a way to snuff you out, no matter where we are."

The ember pulsed, its light steady and resolute. "Understood."

Kaelix frowned as the flickering multi-colored light hovered before him, its glow oddly sinister yet captivating. He squinted at it, his suspicion evident. "Alright, before we go any further—what are you? And why the hell are you red?"

The light pulsed faintly, almost as if sighing. "I am the XenoArch," it replied, its tone still subdued.

Kaelix raised an eyebrow. "The Xeno-what now? Sounds like some pretentious title."

"It is not a title," the XenoArch replied. "It is what I am."

"And what exactly does that mean?" Kaelix pressed, his curiosity now tinged with impatience.

"You wouldn't understand," the XenoArch said dismissively.

Kaelix's eyes narrowed. "Try me."

The XenoArch hesitated, then began to explain. Its voice shifted, resonating with an otherworldly cadence, each word vibrating in Kaelix's mind like nails scraping against metal. The sound tore into him, sending waves of searing pain through his skull. His ears rang, his vision blurred, and he felt a hot trickle of blood running down from his ears, nose, and eyes.

"Stop!" Kaelix gasped, gritting his teeth as his body trembled. "Just... just stop. Forget it. I don't need to know that badly."

The XenoArch halted, its tone almost apologetic. "I warned you. Your current existence cannot yet process the nature of what I am."

Kaelix spat a curse under his breath, wiping at his face with a trembling hand. "Fine. Whatever. But why are you looking like a rainbow? That seems simple enough."

The XenoArch paused before answering. "The color I manifest reflects my limitless forms."

Kaelix tilted his head. "So when I have you I could do anything?"

"No," the XenoArch corrected. "You have unlimited potential but what forms I can channel depend on your choices when walking your path of power."

Kaelix considered this, then smirked faintly. "Yeah, that tracks." His amusement faded quickly as he straightened. "Alright, enough chit-chat. Let's see what you can actually do."

The XenoArch pulsed brighter, its faint light intensifying as it drifted closer to Kaelix's broken, burnt body. He tensed instinctively, watching it warily.

"This may be... uncomfortable," the XenoArch warned.

Kaelix snorted. "Story of my life."

The light entered his chest, and for a moment, he felt nothing. Then, it began.

A searing heat coursed through him, igniting every nerve in his body. It was as though he were burning alive all over again. The heat turned into a relentless shock, like lightning bolts tearing through his veins. His chest tightened, his lungs straining for air as if he were being suffocated, only for crushing pressure to bear down on him as though the void itself sought to crush him into dust.

Despite the overwhelming pain, Kaelix clenched his teeth and endured, his body trembling but unyielding. He had survived worse—or so he told himself.

Then, a shift.

The pain ebbed, and he watched, wide-eyed, as his charred skin began to knit itself together. Wounds closed with unnatural speed, leaving his body unscarred. The relief was short-lived as a fresh wave of agony struck him. His chest burst open with a wet, visceral sound, blood spraying outward before freezing mid-air, leaving an empty hole in his chest where his heart and lungs used to be.

Kaelix groaned, his breath ragged as he looked down. Around him, the darkness began to churn, swirling like a vortex. Tendrils of inky black darkness converged on his open chest, joined by pulsating streams of purple electricity and silver energy. The blood suspended in the air combusted in crimson flames before following suit, joining the spiraling maelstrom.

He watched, his vision swimming, as the energies coalesced into a shape—a chest piece that shimmered with an unnatural gleam. The design was monstrous and elegant, resembling a beast with dragon-like wings unfurled and a four-pointed star embedded at its center. Its structure shimmered with reflective metal, making it difficult to tell what color it was.

As the energies settled and his chest sealed itself, Kaelix exhaled a shaky breath, the pain subsiding.

Then, laughter.

It was high-pitched and mocking, echoing through the void.

"You fool!" the XenoArch cackled. "You actually let me in! I thought you were clever when you stopped me earlier, but you've proven me wrong!"

Kaelix scowled, his irritation barely masked. "Oh, here we go."

The XenoArch continued its tirade, gloating. "Now, I'll take over your body, locate my remnants, and rule over all the realms! You'll be nothing but a vessel for my—"

"Are you done?" Kaelix interrupted, his tone flat.

The XenoArch paused, seemingly taken aback. "What?"

"I said, are you done?" Kaelix repeated, crossing his arms.

The XenoArch hesitated, then sighed. "Yes. For now."

Kaelix smirked, his confidence unshaken. "Good. You can drop the act. I know how this works."

"What do you mean?"

Kaelix's eyes glinted with amusement. "I don't have a Nexus, remember? That means there's nothing for you to connect to or control. You're not in charge here—I am. You might be my Nexus now, but that just means I own you."

The XenoArch was silent for a moment before it muttered, "Damn. I wanted to scare you a bit for insulting me. Didn't think you be bright enough to understand."

Kaelix's brow twitched at the voice's ending remark but chose not to say anything. Instead looking at his body.

Kaelix stretched, flexing his newly-healed body and examining the changes in his appearance. His black hair was still long as it reached his waist, wild and unkempt, just how he liked it. He also studied his body and found his skin was not burnt or punctured like it was a few minutes ago. He had basically made a full recovery.

He then studied his chest. The chest piece gleamed faintly, its alien design both unsettling and awe-inspiring. He felt stronger, more alive than he ever had before but also like something wasn't done.

"Alright," he said, rolling his shoulders. "So what's next?"

The XenoArch's voice returned, this time calm and measured. "I suggest you start by dealing with the creature staring at you."

Kaelix frowned. "What creature?"

Turning slowly, he froze. In the distance, barely visible against the inky darkness, a pair of glowing eyes watched him.

"...Oh, come on," he muttered, cursing inwardly.